At the conclusion of the work of the Special Assembly for Lebanon of the Synod of
Bishops, these words of today's liturgy, which we sang a short time ago as the refrain of
the responsorial psalm, are very appropriate. In fact they seem to correspond in the best
possible way to the objective that directed our work over these last weeks. The Synod
Assemblies that concern the life of the Church in a nation or a continent by their very
nature propose: to seek the meeting points between men, social groups and nations to found
them on love.

This seems to be particularly important for the Near East, and especially for your
homeland. We are well aware that Lebanon is a land rich in many religious and cultural
traditions. Catholics belonging to various Eastern Churches and the Latin Church live
there together with Christians from other Churches and Communities; with these there are
also Muslims. For all of them Lebanon is a "common task". All need that social
dimension of love that allows men to build together. And we know well how much Lebanon
needs to build and rebuild, especially as a result of the sad experience of many years of
war, in its search for a just peace and for security in its relations with neighboring
countries.

The Second Vatican Council reminded the People of God of the tasks that the Church, and
especially the lay faithful, are called to carry out in the social and political
community. In fulfilling these tasks the faithful also draw their inspiration from the
faith: in it they find specific and very valid reasons for committing themselves to the
service of the common good of the earthly city. It is obvious how important this aspect of
Christian commitment is for Lebanon, whose historical roots are of a religious nature. And
it is precisely because of these religious roots of the Lebanese national and political
identity that, after the sad period of war, it was desired and was possible to initiate a
Synod Assembly in order to seek together the way to a renewal of faith, to greater
collaboration and to a more effective common witness, without forgetting the
reconstruction of society. This conviction of ours, I am sure, is also shared by our
brother Christians who do not belong to the Catholic Church, as well as by Muslims.

Your ancient ancestors heard the words of Christ

2. We are now gathered around the altar in St. Peter's Basilica to give thanks to God
for the gift of the Synod. The liturgy reminds us that one day, beloved Brothers of the
Church in Lebanon, your ancestors were among the crowds that surrounded Jesus to listen to
his teaching. In fact, St. Luke writes that there was "a great crowd of his disciples
and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the sea coast of Tyre and
Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases.... And he lifted up his
eyes on his disciples, and said: 'Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are you that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you that weep
now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh.
Blessed are you when men hate you ... on account of the Son of Man!

Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven' (Lk
6:17-23).

Your ancestors of 2,000 years ago listened to these words of Christ. But were they not
also spoken for us, for the people of our time, for the Christians of today, for the
Lebanon of modern times?

Do not these words of Christ contain a sort of fundamental program, in which the
Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for Lebanon was to find its inspiration? Let us continue
to listen to this Gospel passage, and let us try to relate it to what was said in the last
few days in the Synod Hall.

We do so while remembering with emotion that once the feet of the world's Redeemer
walked your land (cf. Mt 15:21-28; Mk 7:26-36), that his eyes admired its beauty. The
first reading of today's liturgy, taken from the Song of Songs, makes us think of this. I
wish that the Redeemer's glance, so full of love, may accompany all of you who have taken
part in the Synod Assembly and also all the brothers and sisters you represent.

3. "Earnestly desire the higher gifts" (1 Cor 12:31).

Thus the Apostle writes in his First Letter to the Corinthians. On this occasion as we
conclude the Synod for Lebanon, we also feel that these words of Paul are addressed to us.
The Apostle thus concludes his "hymn to love": "So faith, hope, love abide,
these three; but the greatest of these is love" (1 Cor 13:13). And a short while
before he had said, with words that we will never tire of reading and meditating on:
"Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous ... it is not irritable or resentful;
it does not rejoice at wrong.... Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all
things, endures all things" (1 Cor 13:4-7). Yes, love is indeed like this!

We must carefully reflect on hymn to love

In proclaiming to the disciples of Corinth the truth about love, St. Paul insists on
the many fruits that it is capable of bearing and that are evident not only in the lives
of individuals or families, but also in the life of entire nations.

"Blessed is the people founded on love", the responsorial psalm told us. And
for us, after some weeks of synodal work, these words have a particular wealth of meaning:
they tell us that we must carefully reflect on the hymn to love in the Letter to the
Corinthians if we want to work fruitfully for the reconstruction of Lebanon by
contributing to the restoration of the spiritual and moral fabric of a society of such
noble and ancient traditions.

For this reason, are we not in need of great patience? Love is patient. Is it not
necessary to forget the evil suffered in so many ways? Love is not resentful. Is not a
great perseverance required for this? Love bears all things. And lastly, is not a great
hope necessary? Love spurs us continually to cross the threshold of hope.

Venerable and beloved brothers and sisters, may faith, hope and charity abide with you.
May these three theological virtues on which the Christian life is based remain with you.
But let us not forget that the greatest of all is love. Put love above all things! Amen.

Taken from:
L'Osservatore Romano
Weekly Edition in English
20-27 December 1995, p. 3.

L'Osservatore Romano is the newspaper of the
Holy See.
The Weekly Edition in English is published for the US by: